


Multiple Bucky's

by Bhishak



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, Arguing, Awkward Flirting, Cutting, Depression, Distrust, Father issues brought out, Feels, Graphic Description of Corpses, Guilt, M/M, Multi, Multiple Personalities, Nightmares, PTSD, Read at Own Risk, Secrets, Seizures, Triggers, attempt in suicide, cursing, graphic description of flash backs, mention of anorexia, this can be triggering
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-10
Updated: 2016-09-19
Packaged: 2018-08-14 05:15:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7999936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bhishak/pseuds/Bhishak
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Having the Winter Soldiers was one thing to deal with, but what happens when the avengers discover that Bucky was broken into more than two people. What kind of personalities are running around Bucky's mind, and how will the avengers handle each one?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Finding out

It was a cold October afternoon when Steve and Tony got to meet one of the many different personalities that housed themselves in Bucky's mind. They had gathered in the cafe at the corner straight across from the Stark tower for lunch when all of a sudden Steve noticed a little change in Bucky's demeanor. 

Everything was normal at first, they had just ordered their food when they all heard a couple arguing outside the cafe. The atmosphere around the cafe changed a little, making the tension higher and frankly uncomfortable to be in. This caused Bucky to curl into himself. Almost as if he was trying to make himself disappear in between the wall and his seat. He looked like a 4 year old trying to retreat into his happy place while mommy and daddy fought in another room.

Tony looked over, craning his neck to look at the couple outside. He waved a waitress over and let her know that if a manager didn't take care of this issue, he would do it himself. Almost immediately, a manager went outside to deal with the problem. Tony sipped his coffee and hummed as the manager dispersed the two.

Steve stared at the couple as they walked away. He took a sip of his green tea before he noticed Bucky's demeanor didn't change. He his expression turned to on of concern as he whispered," Hey, Buck you okay?" 

Bucky looked up with watery eyes as he said with a small child like voice," W-whose Buck.....? " 

Steve's blood ran cold at those familiar words, the words that had shot his heart out the first time he heard them. He took a shaky breath before looking up at Tony, almost begging for help. He could feel panic build up in his chest as he whimpered," W-what.....?"

Tony choked on his coffee and coughed, covering his face with a napkin. "Uh. What's your name then?" He asked, hesitant. What the hell was Bucky talking like that for?

Bucky looked around frantically,"I-I don't know....where's my mommy and daddy?" A tear rolled down Bucky's cheek as he stared straight into Steve's eye's.

Returning the stare Steve could only see what looked to be a child's eye's. Those eye's were full of questions he didn't know how to answer.

Tony stared at Bucky eye's wide. "Uhh. Who are your parents?" He asked, clearing his throat of coffee. He gave Steve a look of complete confusion.

" I don't see them....." Bucky's voice cracked as he looked around completely lost. " I want my mommy......" He rubbed his eyes with his sleeve as he stood up frantically from his chair, knocking it over. Everyone in the cafe to look at them as the chair made a loud cracking sound when it hit the hard wood floor. 

Steve jumped from his seat as Bucky twirled around making eye contact with just about everyone in the room. 

As Bucky looked around the room began to spin out of control, he felt his knees give out the second he made eye contact with Steve. 

Lunging forward Steve knocked both his tea and Tony's coffee off the table braking the glass as they both hit the floor. He caught Bucky in his arms as his knees hit the floor making the wood creak. 

Steve's eye's stung with tears as he shook his unconscious friend, " Buck....BUCKY?!?!"

Tony blinked and looked around. "Get him up and take him to the tower. I'll call Bruce." He said urgently. He needed help running possible diagnostics on Bucky physically and mentally to check for any inuries.

Immediately Steve did as he was told and he picked Bucky up bridal style. He quickly made his way to Stark tower without a second thought. Before he knew it he was already in the infirmary. Steve gently laid Bucky down onto one of the medical examination beds. 

He pulled up a seat and sat next to his friend as he waited for Tony to catch up.

Tony was on the phone with Banner. "I don't know what the hell is going on with him, Bruce, he just kind of collapsed. I mean, he's distributing symptoms of multiple personality disorder but you're better at diagnosing psychoses than I am." He said, typing in commands on his computer.

As Steve waited he watched over his closest friend, he notice he was twitching every once in a while. Taking a deep breath Steve took Bucky's hand into his own.

Tony walked over to Bucky and put Bruce on the overhead speakers. "What's his temperature?" Tony blinked and placed a hand over Bucky's forehead. "98.7" He answered and frowned. "Nothing weird there." He said. Bruce hummed. "I'll be right there." He hung up.

They all sat and waited patiently for Bruce to arrive. To Steve it felt like he was waiting another decade for help. When in fact it was only a few minutes. 

Bruce came running into the infirmary like his pants were on fire. He wasted no time in doing all his medical examinations. He took a few brain scans then some blood before he ran out of the room yelling,"I need a moment to analyze these in the lab, if he wakes keep him awake for me!!!" 

Nodding Steve gripped Bucky's hand tighter as he watched over him. A concerned, worried expression never left his face. 

He waited there not moving an inch until he noticed Bucky's expression soften as he began wake up. Groaning Bucky opened his eye's, squinting slightly as the lights shinned into them.

Bucky could hear Steve whispering his name as he slowly became more aware of his surroundings. 

" Buck.....Bucky.....you okay buddy?" Steve asked softly.

Tony leaned over him, frowning with worry. "How you doin' Barnes?" He asked. Wow, he wanted a drink. He swallowed the want and exhaled, focusing on Bucky again.

Bucky opened his eye's wider as Tony blocked the god awful light in the room from his vision. "W-what happened......?"

Tony exhaled in relief. "Funny, I could ask you the same thing." He said. His head was pounding. He rang up Banner. "He breathes." Tony said into his phone.

Bruce told Tony that he was on his way back and that they need to keep him awake until he gets there. He had some news that they all need to hear.

A look of confusion spread onto Bucky's face as he looked to Steve for answers. With a shrug Steve was at a loss for words for once. Sighing he took his free hand and ran it through Bucky's long hair. 

"You passed out while we were at the Cafe, you seemed really out of it at first. You scared the shit out of me Buck stop doing that....." Steve said with a small smirk. Bucky chuckled and closed his eye's,"I can't promise anything....."

"Hey now, you gotta stay awake. You can't fall asleep on me, captains orders." Steve whispered, causing Bucky to chuckle. As Steve did his best to make small talk Bruce had walked into the room. 

Bruce pulled Tony to the side, he whispered making sure the pair behind them wouldn't hear him. "You were kinda right earlier. By the look of his brain the people in hydra really......," he took a moment to compose himself as he took a deep calming breath," They really scrambled his brain. They actually broke him into pieces maybe even different people. I have no idea how bad the damage is, hell I don't know how many personalities he has. They maybe good, they may be bad......I have no way of knowing....."

Tony blinked and glanced over to Steve then back to Banner. "Fuck, this is going to wreck Steve." He murmured. Shit. He clapped Banner on the shoulder. "Thank you." He said before heading back over to the other two. "Well, it seems that Barnes has some. . . Problems. Bruce said that his brain is very damaged, presumably from Hydra. As a result, it appears that Bucky has a Multiple Personality Disorder. We don't know how many there are or whether they're good or bad."

Bucky looked straight through Tony and seemingly at nothing as he processed what was just said to him. 

Steve on the other hand looked to Bruce to confirm what they were just told. 

Bruce nodded and without a word made his way out of the room, as quickly as he could. The tension seemed to tighten itself around everyone's throats as the room grew awfully thick with silence.

Tony exhaled awkwardly. He felt sort of like the third wheel. "Would. . . you like me to leave for a bit?" He asked, feeling like he was verbally navigating a minefield. The tension in the room could be cut with safety scissors.

Steve couldn't speak, his throat felt like sand paper. He just shook his head no and looked over to his broken friend. He rested a hand over Bucky's forehead, trying to calm the storm in the others mind.

Bucky continued to stare into the world of nothingness barley noticing the other two were in the room still. This couldn't be happening he thought. The " winter soldier " was one thing but the thought of more people running around his head seemed almost impossible.

Tony blinked and walked across the room to his bar. He began mixing himself a martini. He had a one and done rule to keep with his sobriety. Tony swallowed and rubbed his temples, sipping at the liquid. "I'm not sure if there's a cure." He murmured. "There's none that I'm aware of."

Bucky slowly sat up, while Steve tried to get him to lay back down by nudging his shoulder gently. " Hey, take it easy buck...." 

Bucky just looked at Steve with almost a pitiful expression as he gently pushed Steve's hand off his shoulder. He got off the bed and walked over to Tony's little home made bar. He grabbed the closest bottle, which was strawberry short cake vodka, and started downing the bottle.

Tony paused. "You're setting such an awful example." He chided, but his words were void of fire. He held up his martini to clink against the neck of Bucky's bottle. "Good shit you picked up there mate." He was trying not to reach over the counter and grab the green apple vodka.

Steve walked over and yanked the vodka out of Bucky's hand. He then started chugging it himself to everyone's surprise. 

Bucky whipped his mouth with the back of his metal arm," Not a bad taste, could be stronger though....." 

Steve finished the bottle and took a deep breath,"I agree with you there.....so....what now...." 

Bucky shrugged his shoulders and grabbed another bottle of alcohol, pure scotch this time," I don't.....I don't know.....kinda just wanna drink....." He popped the lid off the bottle and started downing it like the last one. 

Steve nodded his head and grabbed the green apple vodka and followed suit.

Tony shook his head. He was having a serious war with himself. Three years sober. He looked away while the boys drained his supply of alcohol. He calmly sipped his martini, keeping his eyes on his drink. He wanted to help Bucky deal with this. Sure, they weren't the best of friends. But Steve cared a shit ton for Bucky. More than he did about Tony. Though he wasn't sure why that thought made him so angry. Well, jealous, if we're being honest. But we aren't. So Tony will just let that particular can of feelings stay sealed for now.

After the two finished their second, then their third, fourth, and finally their fifth bottle of whatever Tony had at the time. They both just went ahead and sat on the stools in complete silence. The " winter soldier " was hard enough to deal with now they all have to discover more.....personalities.

Tony didn't even finish his martini. For whatever reason, he felt sick to his stomach. He hadn't even been the one to drink that much. It was very somber now and Tony wasn't exactly sure how to deal with it. It gave him flashbacks to living in his father's house.

The room was deathly quiet, Bucky was surprisingly the first one to speak up out of all three of them," ........So uh......how does this work? Am I going to snap into a different person like when I'm the..." He took a big gulp," the winter soldier.....will I be dangerous?" 

Steve looked to Tony for answers,"How does this work Tony?"

Tony blinked. "Uh. Well, as with any mental irregularity, the symptoms and triggers are situational and differ depending on the person. Barnes saw the couple arguing and that triggered a personality that resembled that of a child. Which would lead me to believe that uh. Forgive me if I'm overstepping here, but possibly your parents fought a lot?"

Bucky looked away making sure Tony couldn't see his eye's," When they were home, most of the time I just would spend the night at Steve's place....." 

Steve nodded at the memories of Bucky running over to his house with tear stained cheeks and a cherry red nose. Even with that look Buck would always say he was fine and smile through whatever was happening down the block.

Tony shifted. He obviously felt incredibly awkward. Talking about problems like this was foreign territory to him. "That emotion never got acknowledged and so it bottled up. And that manifested into an alternate personality once it got severe enough." He still felt like he was intruding on an issue that was none of his business. He dragged a hand through his hair nervously.

A few flash backs crossed Bucky's line of vision as he stared at his own two feet. 

Steve put a hand over Bucky's back and starts rubbing small comforting circles. "I remember hearing them one night, which was impressive since you were a block down from my house." 

Bucky just nodded as he went to grab another bottle of who know what to drink the memories away. Even knowing it won't work it would be worth a shot to try.

" I think we both have had enough of Tony's booze to kill a normal person, why don't we try something else? " Steve said as he took the bottle out of Bucky's hand. He put the lid back on and looked to Tony,"What should we do.....any ideas in that massive brain of yours?"

Tony turned a bit pink. "Um. Well, first of all, I think it's worth mentioning that I'm not actually a certified therapist or anything so. But I feel like it would be good for Barnes to get one. Bruce knows some good ones. But I'd suggest calming activities? I don't know what that might entail, as they're different for everyone."

Shaking his head Bucky whispered,"No therapist....last one didn't work out..."

Steve sighed," Technically he was a hydra agent, not a therapist. There are actual people out there to help others with problems like you and me. In fact Sam helped me a little bit to be honest."

Bucky gave Steve a quizzical look,"Sam's a therapist?"

Chuckling Steve said,"No but he was in charge of a support group, helping old soldiers and all that." 

Grimacing Bucky rolled his eye's," I don't trust strangers. Sam on the other hand," he gave both Steve and Tony a look of hell no," he doesn't need to hear about my mommy and daddy issues...."

Tony blinked. ". . . Fair enough. I suppose. I didn't exactly have the greatest parents either so." He shrugged. It was the first mentioning of his parents he recalled telling Barnes or Steve. He rubbed the back of his neck. "My father. . . Wasn't the greatest."

Bucky looked over to Tony,"He wasn't?" he asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Tony felt increasingly awkward. Steve knew his father in person. "No. He was never home. When he was home, he was drunk and angry." He suddenly hated the martini in his hand and put it on the bar. "Nothing I did was ever enough for him. I built my first circuitboard when I was three. He told me that I'd switched two wires around and that if I was going to bother him, it should at least be correct. I was three."

Steve was completely taken aback,"That....," sighing Steve continued," that actually sounds like something he would say. I'm sorry Tony."

Tony shrugged. "Jarvis was there. Our butler. He was like my real father."

" You named your AI after your butler," said Bucky as he shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. " I guess that's a nice way to honor him." 

Steve nodded his head in agreement," If we're going to talk about daddy issues then I should say I never had one."

Tony blinked. "I'm sorry to hear that. I've heard it's a great experience." He joked darkly but laughed to himself. /He/ thought it was funny.

Bucky chuckled a little at the joke as he sighed," Better then our experience anyway....."

Steve scoffed at the two and smirked,"Never knew the guy so I can't really say anything. So we have all the feelings out in the open now what should we do? "

Tony shrugged. "Hell if I know. I'm better at drinking my emotions away like my father did." He yawned and rubbed his eyes. He never got to finish his coffee at the café. He wandered behind the bar to make some more.

"Drinking is out of the question, it'll take a whole liquor store to get me to even feel the slightest bit of tipsy," muttered Bucky as he moved away from the bar.

Squinting his eyes at the comment Steve motioned for both Tony and himself to follow. Just in case that is, not knowing what could trigger a change. Bucky hadn't been at the tower that long, only a few weeks maybe a month. It's surprising that it took this long for his...condition... to make itself known. 

They all walked into the towers living room area, Bucky took a seat on one of the couches. While Steve went into the kitchen to fetch himself a bottle of water, maybe an apple too. 

When Steve entered the kitchen he saw Sam sitting at the table eating an omelet. " Hey Steve," Sam said before he took another bite of his food.

Steve just muttered," Hey...." He went to grab an apple but found the thought of actually eating make his stomach turn a little. He pulled his hand away and made his way to leave but before he could take a step out of the kitchen Sam was already on his case. 

" Alright what happened?" Sam asked as he sat his fork onto his plate.

Without turning around Steve closed his eye's as he asked,"What do you mean?"

With a huff Sam stood from his chair," One you didn't take the apple you obviously wanted. Two you're refusing to look at me while I'm talking to you, you did the same thing when you first joined my group sessions. Now tell me what's bothering you before I have to repeat our you're going to eat sessions again." 

Taking a deep breath Steve turned around. He slowly opened his eye's as he walked over taking a seat next to Sam before he mumbling,"It's Bucky...." 

Smiling Sam took a seat as well,"Alright that's better, now what is it this time. What changed?" 

Looking away Steve fought an inner battle about what he actually wanted to say. On one hand telling Sam would be sharing a huge part of Bucky that very well could end up putting his friend into a whole new world of discomfort. To be honest Bucky didn't need to feel anymore uncomfortable than he already did. Being in the tower full of people was already stressing his friend out more then he liked. However if he told Sam then maybe he could help keep an eye on him whenever they were separated. He may be able to even help Bucky through the motions if need be. 

Sam could tell Steve was fighting himself on something important. "Come on buddy, you can tell me anything you know that. What's eating at you this time?" 

Shutting his eyes for a moment Steve finally made his decision, as he opened them he looked into Sam's eye's for reassurance like he always did. " Bucky he uh....he has an issue and I don't know what to do." 

Nodding his head Sam sat back in his seat," We all have issues Steve, you both have PTSD for sure. What else is wrong with him? Does he have the same....eating habits as you?" 

Steve shook his head and looked away a little ashamed.

"You don't need to be ashamed Steve we went through this, now please tell me if it's something I can help him with. I'm willing to help him like I did you, it may take a while for me to feel as comfortable with him as I do you. But I'm willing to give him a shot, I trust you, now do you trust me?" Sam asked as he patted Steve on the shoulder making sure he knew he was serious. 

Smiling Steve folded his arms against his chest as he rested them against the table," You know I trust you Sam. "He took a moment to prepare himself," Bucky has a multi-personality disorder, hydra really messed up his brain. More then we originally thought, I.....I don't know how to help him." 

Sam took a moment to take in the news of Bucky's new condition. He leaned forward and whispered to make sure no one could hear him. " I will help him when he feels like he can trust me, I don't know exactly how to help. But I will try my best, if you want I'll keep an eye on him when you aren't around. You do have to realize that I won't always be there if he has, for lack of better terms. Turns from poor Cinderella to high end new dress for a few hours Cinderella. We may need to tell the whole team...."

" NO....what do you even....I mean.....why don't we keep it between Tony, you, and I?" Steve interjected.

" We could do that, but you do realize the three of us won't always be with him. If it's just the three of us keeping an eye on him then he may feel like he can't walk around on his own. Now that won't help his situation at all now will it?" Asked Sam.

Feeling a little ashamed for his clouded thinking, Steve sighed deeply before saying," You're right. You're right, I don't want him to feel like that at all. If we're going to tell everyone we should do it soon and maybe while Bucky's asleep. I don't want him to feel like he's being watched."

Sam got up and put his plate in the sink to be washed at a later time. " I agree, we can do it tonight. I'll tell everyone to meet in the gym around 12am. Maybe have the medical team give Bucky a little something so he doesn't walk in on us. I know when he can't sleep he jogs like you do, he needs his rest even if he doesn't think he does. It may sound a little extreme but I don't want him running out and disappearing on us when we all want to help. " 

" Thanks Sam," muttered Steve as he got up to leave the kitchen. Sam whistled catching his attention long enough to catch the apple flying towards his head.

" Anytime Steve, enjoy the apple." Smiling Sam walked away to tell everyone the news. 

As he watched Sam leave he took a bit out of the apple. He smiled a little to himself as he exited the kitchen and back into the harsh reality he needed to face. 

Tony was left standing in the living room with a rather volatile Bucky Barnes and he wasn't sure what to do about it. Despite popular belief, he didn't hate James. However, he wasn't sure if they went both ways. So he rubbed the back of his neck, trying to find something to do with his hands. It was a nervous tick. Where the hell had Steve gone?

Steve entered the room with his heart a little lighter than it was before. He first noticed Bucky hadn't moved from the couch since he left. Wondering over he noticed his friend had fallen asleep. Smiling to himself he let him be as he gently grabbed Tony by the arm, dragging him to the kitchen so Bucky could sleep peacefully while they talked.

Tony blinked and followed, turning a bit pink. He exhaled and glanced over his shoulder. Poor Barnes. He couldn't even imagine.

When they entered the kitchen Steve immediately spoke first,"I talked to Sam and we both thought it best that we tell the whole team tonight. That way Bucky isn't alone in this.....this little bump in the road. We can all keep an eye out for him this way. " Steve ran a hand through his hair as he muttered,"I don't want him disappearing again."

"Wait, what?" He asked. "Isn't that kind of private? I get what you're trying to do, but you should let him tell everyone when he's ready. He knows he's not alone. That doesn't mean he wants the help though."

"I know him, no matter what happens he won't want it. Hell he probably won't tell anyone until an episode happens. I don't want him to be alone when that happens and the two of us won't always be with him. Will he be mad at me yes....it isn't the first time I've done this and it won't be the last." Steve said as he walked over the table taking a seat as he rested his hand over his eyes with a sigh. " He's stubborn like me....."

Tony blinked and gave him a sympathetic look. "I mean, I'm the problem child among my friends so I've never had this problem."

Rubbing his eyes Steve groaned,"This is going to be interesting....." 

Tony looked over at him. "Would you be more comfortable if he stayed on your floor for a bit instead of his own? I just don't want him to feel as if we're treating him like a child." Tony said, grabbing an apple and a glass of water. "I can get an extra bed set up on your floor." 

"I think that may help a bit more but that still won't fix our main issue. I'll talk to Bucky and try to convince him," sighing Steve stood from his seat,"Either way I feel as though we should still discuss the situation with everyone at least. That way if he needs help someone other than us can jump in if need be." Grunting he walked over to the kitchen door but paused before opening the door, "Let's just hope he'll be willing to accept the help without putting up a fight....if all else fails we meet in the gym at midnight tonight no matter what." 

Tony frowned. He still thought this was a terrible idea but Steve's tone didn't leave much room for argument. He sighed and dipped his head, knowing when to give in.

Steve left the kitchen with a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. As he walked into the living room he noticed Bucky had woken up and the tv was now on. Gulping thickly he took a deep breath before taking a seat next to his friend. 

"So...."Steve started but his stomach twisted into a knot making him rethink his decision,"What you watching." 

Bucky stared at the tv for a few seconds then answered,"Somethings bothering you, what is it?" 

Rubbing the back of is neck Steve looked down as he spoke,"I don't want you to feel alone through this so if you want we can sleep on the same floor. But honestly I.....I want the rest of the team to kn-" 

"I'm not a CHILD Steve I can still take care of myself!!" yelled Bucky as he stood, before he could storm off Steve jumped off the couch and grabbed his arm. Bucky swatted Steve's hand off of him as he turned to face him," I don't need everyone in my business Steve.....but if it makes you feel better I'll sleep on your floor. That's it, I don't need everyone giving me sympathy I'm not that fragile." 

" You're right, I know your not fragile. I thought it would be best to let everyone know so if-" Steve tried to argue but was cut off by Bucky.

"IF what Steve, if I have another episode I should be feared and everyone should stay away from me. You heard what Bruce said I'm still dangerous-," Bucky was this time cut off by Steve shouting.

" YOU'RE NOT DANGEROUS!!," Steve interjected,"You just need to allow people to help you..."

Tony walked back into his living room, headphones over his ears and blasting Spice Girls. He couldn't hear them yelling at each other. He wandered over to his desk and pulled off the flannel he was wearing, pulling up his latest project. It was a new prototype of Bucky's arm. He didn't trust Hydra technology at all. He didn't expect Bucky to use it, but he figured he'd present the plans to him one day in case he ever decided to.

"I DON'T NEED HELP STEVEN!" yelled Bucky as he stormed off.

Turning around Steve punched a hole in the wall closest to him in frustration.

Tony blinked and looked up when Jarvis cut his sound for a moment to point out the fact that Captain Rogers had begun an impromptu demolition on his penthouse. He slid his headphones down around his neck and looked over. "Rogers, why are you breaking my stuff?" He asked, only mildly annoyed.

Steve just looked over at Tony with a death glare before muttering," We meet in the gym tonight." He then walked off and went for a jog to clear his mind. 

As he jogged a few memories came floating to the surface. He remembered arguing with Bucky about how he didn't need to treated like a child when he himself was sick. As he turned a corner he chuckled a little to himself but that little happy thought turned sour, now he knows how Bucky felt. 

Tony blinked. "Christ. He acts like /I'm/ the one who destroyed /his/ wall." He muttered, sending one of his bots over to repair the wall. He exhaled and rubbed his forehead, stress levels rising. "Sir, your heart rate is increasing at an alarming rate." Tony nodded and placed a hand on top of his arc reactor. He could feel his heart straining for a minute. Breathe. Slowly. Deeply. Eventually, his heartrate caught up to him.

Nightfall soon came and Bucky was sleeping in Steve's bed for the time being. Everyone had met up in the gym, Sam was really the only one who knew the reason to why a meeting was called so late.

Tony sipped his third cup of coffee in the last three hours. He hadn't slept in two days and was actually planning on getting some sleep tonight. Rogers had put a stop in that plan though. Tony was wearing a pair of form-fitting sweatpants and a black and yellow striped sweater that was a bit big on him. He'd put it through the washer one too many times and it stretched out.

Steve entered the room with a serious expression. As he looked around the room he saw everyone was there, to his surprise he saw Thor, T'Challa and both the Maximoff twins.

Not knowing how to start Steve just stated what was wrong without sugar coating it,"I want you all to know that a new development has come to our attention. According to Bruce's findings Bucky has a condition called Multi-personality disorder. We only know of two so far, one of course being the winter soldier, the other we found out is like a 4 year old. There is no way to know how many there are or if any are good or bad. I want to ask you all to keep an eye out for him, if an episode happens can I count on all of you to come to his aid if needed."

Tony said nothing, staring down at his coffee. 

Peter Parker blinked and yawned. "/That's/ what we're meeting in a creepy gym at midnight for? I thought we would be summoning a demon or something." he muttered.

"That is highly inadvisable." T'Challa grunted. 

Natasha rolled her eyes. "I'm going to take an educated guess and say that Barnes has no idea we're all here talking about his private medical history."

"Correct." Banner nodded. "Hey Tony, you haven't said anything in three minutes. You okay?" 

Tony looked up from his coffee. "Peachy." He murmured. He glanced to Steve before looking away. The whole topic of mental handicaps made him uncomfortable. And the fact that it was /Barnes'/ handicaps, it felt incredibly invasive to be talking about it.

Sam rose his hand to speak," I'm the one who talk Mr. America into telling everyone. Seeing it as a better option then someone finding out by accident and not knowing how to deal with it." 

The room went silent for a few seconds, then Thor chimed in," You say Mr. Barns is more then one person. May I ask how such a thing is possible? "

Clint rolled his eyes and said,"It's a human condition that involves ones brain. If someone is traumatized they can in a sense break away from reality and shut themselves off, sometimes a different personality is made to take there place. To take control in a sense." 

Everyone in the room stared at Clint like he had three heads. He shrugged his shoulders and said,"What I get bored at night." 

"This is all sad and all but may I go back to bed, I'll help if need be but I want to sleep first." Peter Maximoff asked yawning.

Wanda smacked her brother in the chest hard enough to make him wheeze. "Sorry for his rudeness Cap, we both will be happy to help when the need arises."

Steve waved Peter's comment off," It's alright Wanda, thank you for volunteering to help I appreciate it." 

"May I-I chime in Captain?" Asked Scott.

Steve rolled his eye's,"Sure Scott, and please for the last time just call me Steve."

Nodding Scott looked down and started to fidget with his hands,"Sorry Capt-....uh Steve, I will help too. I just want to know if I will be getting a room anytime soon? I'm still living hotel to hotel and I can't keep doing that if I'm going to help you guy's."

Steve looked to Tony with a quizzical expression,"You didn't give Scott a room?" 

Tony blinked. "To be fair, he and the twins showed up after I built the tower." He said. Bruce walked over and leaned against the wall next to him, pressing their shoulders together. It was a small comfort.

"You gave us a place to sleep Tony, so you really have no excuse." Peter M. said as he rubbed his sleepy eyes.

Tony gave them irritated looks. "Is this really what we should be focusing on right now? I'm not destroying this fucking tower again." He said icily. He seriously wasn't in the mood for this shit. "Forgive me if I seem rather annoyed, but we're just conversing about the private medical history of a man who doesn't even know what's wrong with him. Not only that, but in secret! Why are we acting like this isn't invasive? This is why I have trust issues, people." He growled out. 

Natasha gave a one shouldered shrug. "He has a point." 

"I agree with you, Tony, but I can also understand where Cap is coming from. It's good to know what we're up against-" "Up against? We're not fighting him, Banner!" Tony all but yelled. He looked at the lot of them with disgust. He wondered if they talked about him like this. About his past. His problems. This was just wrong.

Raising his hands Steve slowly approached Tony,"He didn't say anything about fighting Tony. He just wants you to understand that literally anyone could be running around Bucks mind. Take for instance the winter soldier, we all need to be prepared if another one like him is somewhere in there. Now don't you DARE think for one moment I don't see your point as well, I love Bucky and if things were different I would of been along side you. It's just that what hydra did........I will not lose him AGAIN. Can you please understand what I'm trying to do at least a little bit, please Tony I need you by my side."

Tony stared at him. 'I need you by my side.' He wondered if Steve even realized he said it. He saw Natasha smirk off to the side and Banner exchanged glances with Vision. Tony felt his cheeks turn a bit pink. He chose to say nothing. Tony folded his arms and looked away. Pretty much everything Steve said before that last part was forgotten momentarily. Peter P. crinkled his nose in a "ew gross" expression.

"Is this everything, I really want to go back to bed." Peter M. muttered as he rested his forehead against his sisters shoulder. 

Steve sighed with a nod he said," Yeah.....yeah that's everything. I just want you all to know that I really appreciate your help. Now sleep well, see you all in the morning for breakfast." 

With that Peter M. took off and went straight to bed within seconds. As everyone else dispersed Steve grabbed Tony by the arm,"I want you to know that I appreciate what your doing....I can see that you're uncomfortable with all this. Thank you, I know I can always count on you." With that Steve gave Tony's arm a gentle squeeze as he smiled. 

Steve headed off and went to bed, seeing Bucky in his bed was a comforting notion when he got to his room. He laid down next to him when he wrapped an arm around Bucky's waist he noticed he was shaking a bit in his sleep. Frowning Steve pulled him a little closer so he could comfort him, it worked almost instantly and soon Steve was fast asleep along side his friend, his buddy, his Bucky.

Tony dragged a hand through his hair and rubbed his face. Jesus Christ he thought as he was left alone. So much for sleep. He looked around. Well, while he was in the gym, he might as well burn off the stress he'd been letting build up. He wrapped up his hands and went at the punching bags.


	2. PTSD Strikes in the name of James

When morning came Steve awoke to Bucky already out of bed. He himself slowly sat up with a groan as the memory of last nights secret meeting hit him. Rubbing his eyes he got out of bed, he started heading to the bathroom when all of a sudden he heard the sound of someone crying. 

Almost on the turn of a dime Steve was fully awake and looking all over his floor for Bucky. Unable to find him Steve called out for help,"Tony!!"

Tony paused, looking up from the punching bag breathing heavily. 

Looking up he ran to the stairs, taking them two at a time to Steve's floor, which was the very top one. The gym had been in the basement of Avengers Tower. He looked around. "What!?" He asked, chest heaving. He was soaked with sweat from not only his workout but also from running up the stairs.

"I can't find Bucky!!" Steve shouted out of hysteria,"I hear crying but I-I can't find him!!!"

Tony ran over and grabbed his shoulder. "Chill out." He said. "No pun intended." He covered Steve's mouth for a second and listened. He could hear it. "Jarvis." "He's in the coat closet, sir." Tony walked away from Steve and down the hallway, pulling open the closet door. "Barnes?" He asked, squatting down to peer beneath the coats. He could see a shimmer of metal.

Bucky looked up from behind his metal arm eye's glazed over. He sniffed,"Don't let them f-find m-me please.....I......I don't wanna g-go b-back."

Bucky sounded so terrified it sent a stabbing pain through Steve's heart.

Tony blinked. He frowned gently. "No one is going to take you back." He said. "You're safe here." He understood, somewhat. People often forgot the fact that he was also a prisoner of war. For months. "No one is taking you anywhere. I promise. Steve Rogers is way to stubborn for that to happen." Tony smiled a bit.

Shaking his head Bucky started rocking back and forth,"They a-always find me.....a-always...." 

Steve knelt down and reached out a helping hand only to see Bucky flinch away violently. He retracted his hand and looked up to Tony with concern written all over his face.

Tony looked to Steve. Then exhaled. "Scooch over then." He hummed, crawling inside the closet next to Bucky. The closet was too small for Bucky, let alone the both of them but he made it work. He slid an arm around Bucky's shoulders, ignoring the flinch. He gently pulled Bucky's head to rest on his shoulder. "They're gone. They're not coming back." Tony promised. "I do apologize, however. I probably smell like a gorilla."

To everyone's shock Bucky basically tackled Tony as he shoved him against the wall with a bear hug. His breathing became erratic as he said,"I just wanna go home......" 

Steve felt a tear run down his cheek, this is what Hydra did to his best friend. Meanwhile he was stuck in an iceberg somewhere being completely useless. He felt a tinge of guilt wrap around his heart as he let another tear roll down his cheek.

Tony's breath hitched and his heart skipped. Hug. This was a hug. It took a moment to process since he very rarely ever got one. He shifted and held Bucky between his legs, wrapping his arms around him. "Where is your home, Barnes?" He asked quietly.

Bucky muttered between hiccups,"Brooklyn, with a man.....I think he's blond?.....That's all I-I can remember."

Tony nodded. He looked over at Steve. "What is it about that man that makes you feel at home?" He asked, rubbing Bucky's back soothingly. He slipped his hand up to play with Bucky's hair every now and then, holding him tightly. He reached up and pulled down one of the coats hanging up. He unzipped it and draped it over Bucky like a blanket. Tony gently pulled the hood up over Bucky's head, hopefully making him feel more protected.

Sniffling Bucky grabbed and held the jacket as close to himself as he physically could,"I remember him being my whole world......I...." Another fit of sobs shook through Bucky's fame as he snuggled closer to Tony for comfort. 

Steve was completely taken aback by his words. His breathing hitched as he sat in front of the closet, crying himself he rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand.

Tony smiled and curled tighter around Bucky. "Well, I've got some news for ya bud. That blonde man's name is Steve Rogers. And he just so happens to think you're mighty important as well. In fact, he's snotting all over himself at the moment and would probably like to hug you right now." Tony's heart ached. He didn't have anyone like that. Except for Jarvis. He had Jarvis. But Jarvis died of AIDS while he was in college at 15.

"Impossible....he's dead.....they told me he w-was dead....,"Bucky whispered as he buried his face in Tony's neck. 

Steve sat in complete shock as a wave of anger filled his chest. The thought that Hydra used his 'death' as a way of torture. It made his blood boil.

Tony blinked and pulled away from Bucky to look at him. "He's standing right next to you, darling." He murmured, nodding in Steve's general direction. "And I'm sure if you asked real nice, he'd let you hug him."

Bucky hesitated before looking over his shoulder. The man sitting in front of the doorway looked just like the last memory he had with the blond. Almost without a second thought he moved away from Tony and was tackling Steve to the ground. " I thought you died on the train!!" He shouted as he lay on top of Steve crying. 

Steve hugged Bucky as tight as he could as he whispered into his ear,"I thought the same buddy....." At this point Steve was crying alongside Bucky as he nuzzled the others neck.

Tony exhaled. Jealousy hit him so hard he actually had to blink his vision straight. He stood and ducked out of the closet. "I'm uh. I'll let you be." He whispered, briskly making his way to the elevator and calling it down. He'd just held the man that murdered his parents. And he hadn't even had a sliver of hatred until that moment. Now he was just angry. 

Why did Steve love Bucky so much? Bucky had assassinated dozens of people. It was only when Tony had stepped into the elevator that it occurred to him. Tony had murdered more people by secondhand than Bucky had first hand. Which meant he was in no position to want Steve as badly as he did. Bucky deserved him more than Tony did and that hurt. 

Both Bucky and Steve lay on the floor hugging each other like their lives solely depended on one another. Neither of them noticed that Tony had left the room as they cried leaving tear stains on one another's shirt. 

When they both calmed down to the point where they could both sit shoulder to shoulder, stars had filled the sky. The room they were in was filled with complete silence as they held hands in front of the closet door. Looking down with his hair covering his face Bucky shut his eyes then slowly opened them and with a soft mutter he asked Steve,"Did I hurt anyone?"

Looking over Steve softly whispered,"No......" 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tony clutched his chest and slid to the floor of the elevator. His heart was hammering really hard. He panted and gave a grunt of fear. Fuck, he hated these attacks. They were spontaneous and made his chest constrict. His hands shook and he groped for the walls of the elevator. Jarvis' voice was somewhere off in the distance. He could barely hear it. Suddenly, he noticed that his elevator had dinged open. He crawled into his penthouse and laid on the floor, face stained with tears.


	3. Lui the child personality

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To tell the difference between Bucky's personalities each one will have a different name. Lui is the name of the 4 year old personality. Each personality acts different, and this is the best way to tell who is who. Whenever a new personality is introduce I will give you the name in the author notes in the beginning. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

Not knowing exactly what time it was Steve slowly pulled Bucky to his feet and led him to their bed room. Being emotionally drained Steve didn't feel the need to change his pajamas let alone help Bucky out of his own. They laid down next to each other without a care in the world as Bucky rested his head on Steve's chest. The sound of Steve's heart eventually lulled him to sleep. 

As Steve rested his arm around Bucky he felt the cold metal seep the warmth right out of his skin. He fell into a relentless nightmare making him toss and turn, memories of joining the army and seeing his fellow soldiers mocking him behind his back. Flashes of watching those same men be sent out and come back in bandages, some missing limb's while others are dead staring soullessly with the look of fear stained into their eyes forever. 

The guilt tore at him as those who didn't make it sat up pointing at him as they screamed,"WHERE WERE YOU!!!" As the ones who were missing body parts screamed,"WE NEEDED YOU!!!" 

He tossed violently in his bed as he gripped his sheets tight enough to rip a hole in them, a new flash took over the first one. He saw his friend Bucky smiling at him with trust vivid in his friends eyes. Smiling himself he reached out to touch him only to watch Bucky fall back and off the train, face full of fear.

He could hear Bucky's scream as if he was still there watching like the helpless sad story for a hero he was. Only this time he heard a sickening crack along side the sound of splashing water. Suddenly he wasn't on the train anymore but in the crevasse he had watched his friend fall into. Looking around he noticed someone was struggling to pull them self out of the water. Running to their aid he was suddenly face to face with an armless Bucky. 

The sight of the torn flesh made Steve sick to his stomach but he couldn't look away. He fell to his knees into the cold snow beneath his feet as tears fell down his cheeks. 

Bucky grunted and screamed in pain as he finally pulled himself out of the bone chilling water he had fallen into. He looked over to Steve and started screaming harshly,"YOU DID THIS TO ME!! I TRUSTED YOU, YOU WERE MY FRIEND!!!" 

With that Steve woke up screaming at the top of his lung,"I'M SORRY!! I DIDN'T MEAN TO HURT YOU!!!" 

Tony's eyes opened. He heard that. Was that Steve? Steve didn't get nightmares very often. He was often the one that comforted the rest of the team. Tony sat up in his bed that was too big for him. He grabbed his phone and sent the captain a quick text. 'Are you alright?' He asked. Tony got out of bed and stood beside it. It was 4 am. He's only slept 2 hours. He rubbed a hand over his face. Two hours of sleep in the last 72 hours. Sighing he walked down the stairs into his living room,"Jarvis." "Coffee is being brewed sir."

Steve jumped at the sound of his phone vibrating with unsteady hands he opened his phone and read the text Tony had sent. Shaking from the nightmare he looked over to his friend, who thankfully was still out cold, a ping of guilt hit him while he watched his friend sleep for a few seconds.

After a moment of thinking he made the decision he knew was best. Tapping away at his phone he sent Tony a text back saying,'No' 

Tony grabbed his phone, looking at it. ". . . Hm." He hummed. 'You know the codes to my penthouse.' He said. The offer was there now. He leaned back and started soldering some wires to a circuitboard.

Taking a moment to think Steve eventually got out of his bed. He walked up the secret stair case that connected his and Tony's floors with a solum expression, at the top of the stairs was a door. By the door frame was a key pad, rubbing the tears off his face he typed in the pass code. 

Walking into the room he could immediately smell the sent of coffee in the air. Normally it would be comforting but it just made him feel sick. As he walked around he finally spotted Tony at his dinning table soldering another circuitboard. Fiddling with his shirt he walked up to Tony, taking a seat in the chair closest to him.

Tony paused and leaned back. He looked tired. He glanced over and stood after a moment. Walking back upstairs, he retrieved a few items. Coming back downstairs, he sat down in his chair again, facing Steve. Tony reached over and placed a pair of headphones over Steve's ears. He began playing calming music from his iPod. 

He wrapped Steve in a fluffy Iron Man blanket and walked to the kitchen. He returned with his mug of coffee and a mug of Earl Grey tea, setting it down in front of Steve. Tony said nothing, only sat back down to continue soldering. He wasn't really good at showing he cared about people.

Smiling Steve pulled the blanket around himself a little tighter. The soft fabric made him feel a little better as the music pulled him out the nightmares horrific visions for a moment. 

Looking down at the tea in front of him, knowing it being a kind offer from Tony he couldn't bring himself to drink it. The fear of his stomach rejecting it made him a little uneasy as he leaned forward closing his eyes. His stomach tossed in turned as the image of seeing Bucky's torn flesh where his arm used to be flashed in front of his vision. 

He shifted in his seat, feeling as though he may pass out due to his vision being so vivid he quickly grabbed the table making a loud thud noise.

Tony paused just as Steve shook the table. He almost soldered his thumb in the process. He decided right now might not be the best time for this. He shut off the soldering iron and placed it in its holder. He pulled off his safety glasses and looked over at Steve. "What was it this time?" He asked, voice mildly concerned.

Taking a moment to breath Steve muttered,"I saw the soldiers again....." He slowly opened his bloodshot eyes and looks to Tony. 

Tony nodded. "I see." He frowned, not sure what to say. "I can suggest you find a therapist. But I'm not sure how else to solve your problem. All I can offer is support."

"It's to early to call Sam, he needs his sleep too....." Said Steve as he took the headphones off setting them on the table. "Besides this Iron Man blanket is really soft so leaving is out of the question........thank you Tony."

Tony felt his cheeks tint a bit. "You can stay in my room if you want. I don't plan on sleeping." He said, sipping his coffee and pulling up blueprints of the legs he was making.

"If it's okay with you I think I'll stay awake for a while, p-preferably with you." Steve's cheeks flushed a little as he stuttered.

Tony blinked, not giving the statement much thought. "Sure, no problem." He said. He began pulling some parts out of the hologram and examining them, trading some of them.

Watching Tony work made Steve smile. It was a comforting thought that Tony would still act like himself even though things went to shit. As he watched he became curious,"What are you working on?" He asked totally fixated on Tony's hands moving parts around the hologram.

"Legs. For uh. Rhodey. I can't fix what I did, but maybe I can help make things easier on him." Tony murmured, sighing.

Shaking his head Steve said,"It wasn't all your fault."

Tony looked at him. "Yes it is. It's on me. If I hadn't gotten him involved in our problems, he would be fine. He'd be able to feel his legs. He'd. . . He'd be able to walk. Carry himself with the. . . The pride that he. . ." Tears splattered onto the glass desk. He touched his cheek and scowled, wiping his eyes furiously and turning away. He walked into the center of the room and pulled the blueprints over, blowing them up so he could work on the little things.

Standing up Steve followed Tony,"Hey....come on Tony, he knew what he was getting into. He knew one day something bad would happen just like we both know that one of these days one of us won't make it. He did it because he wanted to."

Tony looked at him. "He is the only friend I have and I let him get in harms way because I am to fucking stubborn to admit when I'm wrong." He growled out, scathing anger at himself obvious. He accidentally shattered the hologram of one of the metal panels on the right leg. "Fuck." He pinched the bridge of his nose. He undid the shatter and stared down at the metal panel.

Stepping up Steve walked over to Tony, he wrapped his arms around tony's small frame. "For one he's not your only friend, two......you need to stop blaming yourself so much for things that were out of your control."

Tony froze, stiffening in Steve's warm embrace. His heart jumped up into his throat. "It wasn't out of my control. I am the one who got him into this mess!" He pulled himself away from Steve. His heart was racing. Tony'd mouth felt dry. No. No, not now. He shook his head and closed his eyes. "Don't." He didn't deserve to be comforted. He didn't have the time to be wallowing in his own shame. Every second he wasted was a second Rhodey sat in a wheelchair.

"Tony he's the one that chose this life, for the last time he knew what could happen. Besides there was no way you could of known that Vision was even capable of getting distracted like that. Hell it surprised me to be honest."Steve said as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Exactly. Vision is my creation. If I had done a better job, then maybe. . ." He murmured, putting his face in his hands. "It's all my fault."

"Vision is his own being, which mean you had no way of controlling how exactly he turned out." This time Steve walked over and took Tony into his arms, making sure that he couldn't be pushed away. "What happened is now in the past Tony......"

"But the past effects the now." He hadn't realized he was shaking. Tony closed his eyes. "I just wanted to help people but I've done nothing but hurt them. Even after I stopped making weapons. I'm just like my father. I destroy everything I touch."

Steve ran a hand through Tony's hair, hoping that it was calm him in some way. He started rocking the both of them in a soothing back and forth motion as he whispered,"You're nothing like your father, I would know. I only spent an entire war locked in a room with the guy. You help people because you feel the need to unlike him who just wanted the fame and money for himself. You're a better person weather you believe it or not."

Tony's chest ached and he clutched at Steve's shirt. "I've killed more people than Barnes has." he sobbed. "I'm a murderer. It doesn't matter what I do, nothing is going to change that."

"Every little bit helps, you've saving the world numerous times. You gave the Maximoff twins a place to sleep, you didn't have to but you did it anyway. Tony......you gave Bucky a place to sleep even though you know exactly what he did to your parents. Each and every one of these things helps and you need to realize that. What you did was second hand, and even though those lives are lost you help protect the ones still around each time a threat arises." Steve started rubbing small circles up and down Tony's back as he held him closer.

Tony swallowed. "I did those things for selfish reasons. I gave the twins a home here because It was more people that have potential to want to be my friend. Barnes lives here. . . He lives here because I was afraid if he didn't, you would leave to be with him." He whispered, forehead pressed to Steve's shoulder.

Steve pushed Tony's face up so he could look into the others eyes,"Tony, everyone in this tower is your friend. Don't you dare argue with me on that. And to be honest if Bucky wasn't living here then I......I can't exactly say what I would do especially if I couldn't be with you."

Tony went to argue, but paused. His face turned really red. "I- what." He spluttered. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He asked, eyes wide. "Why in the fuck would you care about me when you have Barnes? He's the one you care about. Should care about more than me at least." Tony backed out of Steve's embrace, panicking.

"I care about you Tony," Steve raised his hands about chest before saying,"You two are the most important people in my life, I will not lose either one of. You understand me?"

Tony stared at him. "You're lying. You're fucking lying. Me? Important, to you?" He barked a laugh and backed away, turning and running upstairs, taking them two by two. He had to get away. He was panicking and his heart was racing and his chest really really hurt and he couldn't breathe and- He inhaled and wheezed, coughing. "J. . ." He needed his inhaler. "Bedside table, sir!" Jarvis insisted urgently. Tony hacked and stumbled over to his bed, throwing the drawer open and grabbing his inhaler, inhaling deeply from it.

Running after him Steve took Tony back into his embrace as he tried talking as calmly as he could,"Breath Tony, take deep breaths follow me." Having to go through the same routine with Bucky he new what to do, it however was a first that he had to do it to someone else. "Breath along with me nice and easy, deep breaths...." 

After what seemed like forever Steve finally said,"Of course your important to me you little shit."

Tony scowled. "If I remember correctly, you and I tried to kill each other not too long ago. Because I threatened the safety of Barnes. You don't give two fucks about my safety. You were ready to kill me to protect him. I matter a whole fucking lot huh!?" He screamed, tearing away from Steve.

"I WAS BLINDED BY ANGER BECAUSE YOU BLEW HIS ARM OFF!!!," Steve yelled,"I CARE ABOUT YOU, ALONG WITH BUCKY SO WILL YOU PLEASE CALM DOWN FOR A SECOND!!" 

Suddenly the sound of glass breaking could be heard at the door way of Tony's bedroom. Water and glass covered the doorway as Bucky saw that Steve was half on top of Tony half on the carpeted floor. Looking up they both say Bucky standing wide eyes staring seemingly right thought them. 

Before either one could react Bucky took off down the stairs and headed straight through the pent house at full speed.

"The fuck-" Tony shoved Steve off him and ran to the top of his stairs, watching Barnes disappear out the door. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Steve ran up to stand by Tony's side."How did he get in here in the first place?! Jarvis?!"

"Sir, he seems to have broken in through the secret passegway..." Tony gave an indignant wail of irritation. "He could have asked to be let in!" He snarled. "Sir, I don't believe he is in the right state of mind at the moment." Tony blinked. Of course. he grabbed his phone and rang Natasha, four floors down. "What, Stark, it's four in the morning." "Barnes is somewhere in the tower-" "Yeah, he's eating goldfish at my dining table right now." "He could be- what." "Goldfish, Tony. He's eating them. In my dining room."

Steve interjected,"Goldfish?! What the-Natasha what personality is he at the moment? Is he okay, what's he doing on your floor?!"

"He seems to be behaving as a four year old child. And is quite attached to Clint." Immediately after, a video was received on Tony's phone. Bucky sat at the dining table, hugging Clint's arm with one hand and shoveling goldfish into his mouth with the metal one. Tony blinked in shock. Wow. Weird.

Looking around Tony noticed the glass in his door way was from a cup, apparently full of water. He placed a hand on his forehead and started laughing. "Oh my fucking god. He broke into my penthouse to get a glass of water."

Not knowing what to say Steve blurted,"What?! Oh my-,"rubbing his temple Steve sighed trying to calm his beating heart," "Natasha we're on our way down keep an eye on him please." With that Steve started heading down the stairs. Half way down he stopped in his tracks and looked up to Tony,"You coming?"

Tony stared at him. "What do you need me for?" He asked. "I'm shit with kids." He looked away, sadness evident in his large brown eyes.

"You've had more experience with them then I ever have, besides you.....," Steve looked away as sadness filled his every word,"....you handled him better than I did with his last episode."

Tony looked at him. "The key to comfort is relating to the victim." He said. ". . . If you want me to go, I can." he said. His voice was strained. He didn't know if he wanted to or not. He still hadn't fully forgiven Barnes yet. How could he?

Looking up Steve asked,"Please....?"

Tony stared at him for a moment before sighing and grabbing a tattered red hoodie. He'd neglected going shopping lately. He probably needed to get food. And new clothes. But he couldnt bring himself to care. He shoved his hands in his pockets and slouched, following Steve downstairs. The sun was coming up. He looked out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the sunrise and sighed softly.

From the stairs they walked across the room to the elevator, the silence between the two was filled with Lady Gaga music filling the elevator on ride down. Steve just shook his head as the doors opened, revealing Natasha's floor. When they entered the dining room they heard Bucky yelling," Mommy, can I have apple juice?"

"Sorry, did I just hear 'Mommy?' And apple juice? Can we talk about the fact that you have apple juice at the ready?" Tony asked as he sauntered out of the elevator.

Natasha glanced up at them. "The apple juice is all Clint, he drinks it by the gallon." 

Tony snorted and laughed, relaxing a bit.

Bucky took the apple juice,"Thank you mommy,"and drank it as he watched cartoons with Clint. Both laughing as one of the characters blew themselves up.

Walking over Steve tapped Natasha on the shoulders,"W-why is he calling you mommy?"

Natasha shrugged. "Hell if I know. He called Clint 'Dad' and he totally went with it and just yelled 'Son!' right back so." Tony smiled and glanced at Steve. "Good to know someone knows how to handle kids."

Bucky looked up from the Tv smiling,"Hi, my name is Lui. Who are you guys?"

Tony blinked and looked at Steve. "My name is Tony." He said with a nervous smile. Kids freaked him out.

"Imma call you grandpa...." Lui said with a giggle. 

Steve couldn't help but break into a huge grin as he along with Clint died laughing.

Tony's eyebrow twitched,"Oh. That's nice." He muttered, elbowing Steve in the ribs. Natasha snorted and laughed, holding her stomach. "Steve here is twice as old as I am." He said. "So is Natasha."

"Grandpa you shouldn't say such mean things about mommy or grandma...." Lui said before his attention was taken back by a tv show's opening them song.

"What?! I-I'm not a grandma?!" Muttered Steve as he looked at Lui questionably.

Tony roared with laughter and fell over Natasha, who wheezed loudly. Natasha was pretty much crying by now. Tony grabbed his chest and hacked, almost needing to grab his inhaler.

Smirking Steve walked over to Lui taking a seat next to him while Clint died in the corner. "So Lui, who gave you your name? Last time I saw you, you didn't have one." 

"Daddy gave me my name while mommy got me goldfish."Lui said as he ate a few of the said goldfish.

Tony exhaled and inhaled, regulating his breathing. Holy fuck. He wiped a tear and yawned, sitting down on the loveseat. He stretched out on it and closed his eyes, smiling slightly.

A new tv show blasted its theme song as they all sat in silence. Lui rested his head against Steve's chest as they watched Steve Universe together. 

As they sat there Steve noticed that Tony looked as if he had fallen asleep. Smiling he shut his own eyes for what seemed to be a split second. 

Eventually Lui looked up and saw that both Tony and Steve had fallen asleep. Looking around he also noticed that Natasha an Clint had left the room as well. He slowly sat up trying his best to not wake Steve. 

He left the room for a split second then returned with a couple of blankets. He wondered over putting a blanket over Tony, then did the same to Steve. As he went to leave the floor he paused in front of the elevator. Looking back he whispered,"Night night family...." 

With that he entered the elevator, leaving them all to sleep.

Tony slowly opened his eyes and watched the sunlight stretch across the ceiling. He shifted and muttered to himself, looking down at the purple blanket that had been thrown on top of him. He shifted and sighed, closing his eyes again.


	4. Lui hates conflict

An alarm went off waking everyone up. Clint came out of the bathroom yelling for Jarvis to shut up. Rubbing his eyes Clint looked over seeing that Steve and Tony were still there. Shrugging his shoulders he walked into the kitchen to get a glass of apple juice. As he poured himself a glass he suddenly realized something was missing. Turning around his eyes grew wide, Lui was gone. 

Steve woke up feeling the soft fabric of the blanket, he stretched to wake himself up a little more. He could hear Tony yawning audibly close by. When he opened his eyes he looked over at Clint. Confused he asked,"What's wrong Clint?" 

Clint pointed to the empty space that once housed Lui,"Uh.....Lui's gone...."

Tony blinked. "Ugh. Jarvis, find Lui." He murmured, hiding under his purple blanket. Natasha sipped her coffee at the dining table.

"Sir, he's in the lab talking to Bruce. He appears to be himself again." Jarvis said.

Rubbing his forehead Steve groaned,"This is going to be harder to deal with than I thought....."

Tony lifted his head. His hair was a complete mess and his hoodie was wrinkled. He sat up and dragged a hand through his hair, yawning loudly.

Clint walked over and took a seat next to Natasha. He leaned in close and whispered so no one else could hear them,"Should we tell them why he came to us, or not?

Natasha nodded. "Might as well." 

Tony yawned and stretched, yelping when his back popped rather painfully. "Ah, shit, that hurt." He rubbed his back.

Looking at Steve, Clint shook his head as he whispered,"I'm not saying it, you say it. I will not have Cap's boot up my ass because he caused this episode."

Natasha scowled. "Rock paper scissors, loser tells them." She said. She didn't feel like making Tony feel like an even bigger piece of shit.

Under the table they did three rounds of Rock Paper Scissors. Clint did a silent victory dance when he won, he whispered,"I'm going to get as far away as possible, possibly get breakfast while Im at it. Do you want anything?"

"If you bring me back any less than a dozen donuts, I'll shove them all up your ass." She scowled bitterly, taking another swig of her coffee before sauntering over to the sleepyheads. "So Lui came to us for a reason last night." She murmured.

Clint took that as his cue to run, as he left he made a mental not to grab those donuts. 

Steve looked up at Natasha," Why did he come to you? Speaking of that why is he calling you and Clint mom and dad?"

Natasha exhaled. "He came to us because. . . He could hear the two of you screaming at each other from Steve's apartment. I think he sought the comfort of parents when he heard you fighting." Tony frowned and looked away.

Feeling the same guilt Steve looked over to Tony,"Sorry for...yelling at you last night."

Tony almost protested on the reasoning that he deserved it. "I'm sorry as well." He murmured. Natasha nodded. "Good." She said

A few minutes went by and Clint walked back into the room. He was carrying two boxes of donuts," I brought donuts, however I need to know if you guys made up first before I pass them out."

Steve nodded but left the room saying he wasn't hungry. He asked Jarvis to take him to the lab, while he road in the elevator he thought about the fight Tony and himself were in the middle of. 

The thought of Tony feeling as though no one loved him made his heart ache. He was brought out of his thought process by the elevator doors opening. 

Taking a deep breath he entered the hallway that lead to the lab.

**Author's Note:**

> Written along side royalprinceofbeehind on tumblr!


End file.
